The Animal I Am
by princessOFdarkeness
Summary: Just a funny little idea I had. Al, Ed, and Winir's conversation on a train bound for Central.


Hello everyone! Yeah, my second Full Metal Alchemist ONE-SHOT! Yay! Okay, I don't own Full Metal Alchemist, but even so I wish I did! This one I kind of wrote for my best friend Fae aka **lunar neko2020**! Fae also has a Full Metal Alchemist story she's writing too but she hasn't uploaded it quite yet.

Anyone else ever wonder what animal they'd be if they were an animal instead of a human? Well, I have a little and I think I'd wanna be a penguin, a koala, a platypus, a kangaroo, a panda, a peacock, a ladybug, a manatee, or a duckling. What about you… not that you can actually say it loud enough for me to hear it through the computer screen but whatever. If you feel like answering that question send the answer in your review. Please review this chapter if you read it!

Alright-y then, ON WITH THE SHOW!

**The Animal I Am**

**By: princessOFdarkness**

The train whistle sounded from inside the bustling station. Huddled together on a bench on a train platform a fair ways away from the chattering crowd of people were two boys – the Elric Brothers. Edward was on his way back to Central with Alphose, who followed him everywhere he went and was accompanying him back to Central as usual – they were all the other had. The young state alchemist never went anywhere without his ironclad little brother if he could help it.

"Hey Al?" Edward asked suddenly just as a train came whizzing by them. Their train that was taking them back to Central wasn't scheduled to be in for some time, so seeing as they had no other place to go in this strange town now that their business had been taken care of a bench on the train platform seemed the perfect place to spend the wait – however long the wait might be.

"Yes big brother, what is it?" Al replied, turning to him with some difficulty due to his large size. Armor isn't really meant for park benches but… if you can use alchemy and stretch the bench a little… just like Edward had done then you'll be fine. Unless the armor moves and breaks the bench in half, which it seemed Al was about to do unwittingly. But miraculously the bench didn't snap! Hallelujah!

"Can I ask you something Al?" Edward asked propping his feet up on his tattered suitcase.

"You just did there big brother, so I guess you can ask me another one." Al stated cheekily, watching the trains as they pulled in and out on different platforms. The platform on which they sat was still as empty and silent as it ever had been.

"Why are you meowing at me?" Edward asked though he already felt he knew the answer. Groaning slightly with the effort it took to do so, Edward stood up and pulled off his brother's metal helmet. Almost immediately after he had done it, a small fluffy white kitten jumped out onto the marble floor of the train station to stretch and bask in the sunlight streaming in through the high windows. "Oh Al come on, not another cat! That's the fifth one this week you've tried to hide in your armor."

"I'm sorry big brother, it just looked so alone and miserable sitting there on the side of the road in the rain. I couldn't just leave it there like that!" Al whined sadly as Edward frowned down at him.

"Yes, you could have left it there. I would have anyways and never looked back at it or given it a second thought." Edward sighed. Sometimes his little brother could be such a pain in the neck! The train pulled in next to them puffing smoke. Edward stooped and grabbed his suitcase as he headed for the train. "Come on Al, this it our train. And leave the cat!" Edward had turned just in time to see Al picking up the kitten from the ground, about to stick it in his helmet. Al dropped the cat at Edward's fierce yell and hurried over to Edward's side as he boarded the train and handed over their tickets to the train conductor before going to find their seats in their own private compartment in first class end of the train. Edward had just enough time to settle himself down in his seat and let out an exasperated sigh before he was being attacked and hugged tightly by a rather familiar blonde.

"Ah!" Edward cried falling out of his seat as the girl pulled away. He looked up from the floor at his old friend and frowned. "Hey there Winri, what are you doing here? I thought you were still training down at the automail engineer's paradise or whatever it was called."

"Oh I am Ed, but I'm going back to Central for a bit. I need a few more materials and information before I can complete the new automail model I've been working on. I can only get what I need from bit cities like Central so that's where I'm headed." Winri smiled as she explained her situation as she helped Edward off the floor and back into his seat. "Hey Al, how are you? Haven't seen you for ages!"

"Hello Winri, I'm fine." Al said sorrowfully looking out the window at the countryside as it hurtled by. Winri looked over sideways at Edward, confused. Al was always so happy and cheerful and this sad depressed Alphose to a certain extent threw Winri off balance.

"Al is something the matter? You don't seem like yourself today." Winri commented lightly as not to hurt Al's feelings. Even an empty suit of armor has feelings, especially the suits that have a soul attached to them like Al's did.

"My big brother is so mean, that's what the matter is!" Al huffed, turning away from Winri and Edward, his arms crossed over his grey metallic chest. "I have the meanest big brother ever put on the face of the Earth!"

"What did you do now Edward?" Winri asked, her hands on her hips, her foot tapping loudly as she looked down at Edward where he sat while she stood in front of him angrily.

"I didn't do anything this time!" Edward shouted, his face turning a light shade of pink as he said it. This time… this time things weren't his fault… but they had been his fault before. "Well, maybe I did SOMETHING, but-"

"See I told you, you did do something!" Winri victoriously, cutting Edward off in the middle of his sentence before he could thoroughly defend himself. "Well then Edward what did you do this time huh?"

"I caught Al hiding another cat in his armor and made him let it go before we boarded the train." Edward confessed under Winri's death-like-glare she was going him. "We travel way too much to keep a pet Al! You know that, both of you."

"I know that Edward, but I still want a pet like all the other kids our age do!" Al whined. It was at times like this Edward remembered Al was only a child, a child a year younger than him who he had to take care of and watch out for. _He's still my little baby brother no matter what happens,_ Edward thought as he looked at Al. Winri patted Al on the arm comfortingly and even though he couldn't feel it, Al still turned to look at her and thanked her for caring.

The train ride was silent for some long odd minutes where everyone was somewhat uncomfortable. But Al broke the silence as always with a completely random thought.

"You guys ever wonder what animal you would be if you weren't a human?" Al asked the other two – who exchanged looks behind his back concerning his sanity which both found lacking from the comment. Al was going insane, or so Winri and Edward thought.

"That was utterly random, did you know that Al?" Edward laughed along with Winri, who was snorting in between her laughs. Yes everyone, Winri snorts when she laughs, it is a proven fact.

(A/N: Okay, maybe it isn't a proven fact but it sounds nice to say it is)

"No seriously you two, didn't you ever wonder what kind of animal you'd be?" Al asked. _Is he really serious about this, _Winri asked herself as Edward and her exchanged glances. "Well? Either of you care to answer me?"

"No, I never thought about it really." Winri said slowly. "What about you Edward?"

"I never had to think about it, I always knew what animal I would be. I would be a –"

"A termite?" Winri said unhelpfully. _Great, more jokes about how short I am, _Edward thought savagely. Edward had always been a little short for his age – more than a little but there you have it. "A flea or a mouse perhaps?"

"Or a dog of the military?" Al added much to Winri's pleasure. Winri gave Al a furtive thumb's up while Edward wasn't looking directly at them as she laughed her approval.

"No, actually I figured I'd be a lion." Edward said.

"Yeah, I could see you as a lion." Winri said. Edward looked up at her shocked, it wasn't everyday she actually agreed with him. "Yeah really, a lion CUB maybe small fry."

"That's not funny Winri, I can't help it I'm short and unusually small for my age!" Edward snapped back irritably. "I'm tired of everyone picking on me all the time. I can't help it I was born this way."

"Maybe if you drank your milk you'd get taller." Winri said slyly. "You should really drink milk Ed. If you won't do it on your own I could always shove a funnel down your throat and pour it in."

"NEVER!" Edward yelled heatedly, diving under the bench seat to poke his head out from under and scowl up at them.

"Aw, come out Ed, I way only joking around with you I wasn't serious!" Winri said bending at the waist to poke her head under her seat to stare at Edward's cowering form under her. "Come out Ed, or do I have to come under there with you?"

Edward leap out from under the seat and coincidentally ended up sitting in Al's lap. Winri scowled over at him, pouting with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Big brother!" Al huffed, pushing Edward into the seat next to him. "What animal would you be Winri? I know you've never thought about it but just try and guess an animal."

"Well Al, I think I know actually now that I think about it." Winri smiled brightly. "I think I'd be a bunny rabbit!"

"Yeah Winri of course you'd be a rabbit." Edward smiled wickedly back at her. "A ROAD KILL RABBIT MAYBE! Or a fire breathing dragon or a vicious python or a Full Metal Alchemist-eating tiger."

"Ha, very funny Ed." Winri said sarcastically.

"You know what I am?" Al asked. Winri and Edward exchanged one last look before turning back to Al and nodding together at him, smiling. "Well what am I? What Animal am I?"

"Well Al, Winri and I agree." Edward smiled. "Winri and I agree you, Al are a… CAT!"

()()()()()()()Page break!

Yeah, silly I know but I was just in the mood for something silly and ridiculous I guess. Please review, please, please, please, please, PLEASE! I love reviews! Reviews are like chocolate and hugs – you can never get enough of 'em! And Fae and Brandon – who are probably reading this right now – know that I love hugs more than everything else in the world! Yay hugs!


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